Hay-stacker.



PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

0. KOEHLER. HAY STAOKER. I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Witnesses Attorneys No. 813,719. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906. G. KOEHLBR.

HAY STAGKBR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig-5. Z

6 zzp rmmzer Witnesses Inventor v by Attorneys CASPER KOEHLER, OF CANYONCITY, OREGON.

HAY-STACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed September 21, 1905. Serial llo 279,512.

. has for its object to provide certain new and useful improvementswhereby the manipulation of the device is materially simplified.

It is also designed to provide improvements in the lifting or elevatingmeans in order that the necessary power for manipulating the same may besubstantially uniform throughout the operation of the device.

Other objects of the invention reside in providing for the convenientadjustment of the device for varying the radius of action of thehay-fork, to adjust the positions of one set of fingers of the fork, andto cushion the hay-fork at the limit of its rearward movement.

\Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of ahay-stacker constructed in accordance with 'the present invention withthe hay-fork in its elevated position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view with the hay-fork in its depressed position for receivinga load of hay. Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailfragmentary view of the hay-fork. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevationof a detail of the invention.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each andevery figure of the drawings.

The present device includes a base-frame made up of spaced sills orrunners 1, which are rigidly connected by front and rear crossbars 2 and3 and an intermediate cross-bar 4. Adjacent the front of the frame andimmediately in rear of the front cross-bar 2 there is an axle 5, havingsupporting-wheels 6 to facilitate the transportation of the de-- vice.The ends of the sills or runners project beyond the end bars and areprovided with rings or links 7, through which anchoring-stakes areadapted to be driven to hold the base-frame rigid during the operationof the device.

Extending transversely across the rear end portion of the base-frame isa rock-bar 8, journaled in suitable bearings 9, provided upon the top ofthe respective sills or runners, the extremities of the rock-bar beingprojected beyond the frame. At each side of the base-frame there is avertically-swinging stacker-arm made up of a relatively short inner armmember 10, carried by the adj acent end of the rock-bar, and an outerlonger arm member 11, slidably overlapping the upper face of the armmember 10. substantially U-shaped guide-bracket 12 is carried by theouter end of the arm member 10 and embraces the arm member 11, and asimilar bracket 13 is carried by the inner end of the arm member 11 andembraces the arm member 10, there being a movable fastening 14, carriedby the bracket 13 and piercing the two arm members to rigidly connectthe same when the outer member has been adjusted to any desiredposition. As best indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be notedthat the lower arm member 10 is provided with a series of perforations15 for the individual reception of the fastening 14, so as to permitendwise adjustment of the arm member 11. The stacker-arms project asuitable distance in front of the base and are connected by a cross-bar16.

The stacker-head includes a fork made up of a series of tines 17,rigidly secured to the cross-bar 16 intermediate of their ends, the rearends of the tines being braced and connected by a cross-bar 18, which isin turn connected to the stackerarms. Upright fingers 19 are secured tothe cross-bar 16 and located between the successive tines 17. As bestindicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be noted that each finger19 has a loose or pivotal connection 20 with the cross-bar 16, and theseries of fingers is rigidly connected by a cross-bar 21. Adjacent eachend of the cross-bar 21 there is a brace or link 22, having a looseconnection 23 with the cross-bar 21, from which it inclines downwardlyand rearwardly alongside of the adjacent stacker-arm, to which it isadjustably connected by a suitable removable fastening 24, which piercesthe stacker-arm and one of I held in any of its a series of perforationsin the brace. The purpose of the braces 22 is to support the series offingers 19 at any desired angle with respect to the tines 17. Certain orall of the tines 17 are provided with upstanding prongs 26, each ofwhich is pivoted intermediate of its ends in an upright slot 27 in oneof the tines, with the greater portion of the prong extending above thetine and bowed or inclined rearwardly. The purpose of these prongs is toprevent the hay from being drawn off of the stacker-head when thehorserake is being withdrawn from the stacker after having placed a loadof hay thereon.

For elevating the stacker arms and head there is a mast 28, fulcrumed atits foot'in a step-bearing 29, carried by the cross-bar 2. Straddlingthe mast there is a prop made up of substantially parallel bars 30,which have their lower ends mounted in the respective step-bearings 31,provided upon the intermediatecross-bar 4. The upper or free ends of thebars 30 are connected by a bracket 32, and between the outer free endsof the bars isan extensible bar member 33, which is provided at itsinner end with a slide or bracket 34, slidably embracing the propmembers 30. The extensible member 33 is provided with a longitudinalseries of perforations 35 for individual enga ement by a pin orfastening 36, removab y piercing the bracket 32, whereby the extensiblemember 33 may be adjusted positions. A bolt or brace rod 37 pierces theprop members 30 in front of the mast 28. The top of the mast ispivotally embraced by a clevis 38, from which a flexible connection 39,preferably a chain, extends to a clevis 40 upon the free end of theprop. Another clevis 41 straddles the free end of the prop, and chainsor the like 42 diverge from the clevis 41 and are connected to thestacker-head adjacent opposite sides thereof. The chain 39 is providedwith a series of short links 43 for individual engagement with theclevis 40, so as to adjust the length of the chain 39 in accordance withendwise adjustments of the prop 30 and stacker-arms, a similar expedientbeing employed for connecting the chains 42 to the stacker-head. Thetackle for raising and lowering the mast includes a block 44, carried atthe upper end of the mast upon the rear side thereof and to which oneend of a rope or cable 45 is connected. This cable extends downwardlyfrom the block to another block or pulley 46, carried upon the middle ofthe rear cross-bar 3 of the base-frame, from which the cable passesupwardly through the block 44 and thence downwardly to another block 47,from which it runs off to one side of the device and is adapted to havea draft-animal or team hitched thereto in any suitable manner.

In practice a load of hay is placed upon the stacker-head in the usualmanner, whereupon the draft-animal or team, which is hitched to the freeend of the cable 45, is driven away from the device, thereby pullingupon the upper end of the mast 25 and swinging the same from itsposition in Fig. 2 upwardly and rearwardly to its position shown in Fig.1, whereby the stacker arms and stacker-head, together with the load ofhay, will be swung upwardly and rearwardly and then deposited upon thestack which is being formed in rear of the stacker. It will here benoted that the fingers 19 support the load of hay when the stacker-armsare approaching the vertical, and when the latter swing slightly in rearof the vertical the load will slide off of the fingers to the stackwithout any interruption on the part of the prongs 26.

To limit the rearward swing of the stackerarms, there is provided alimiting device consisting of brace cables or rods 48, connected to thestacker-head, as at 49, with their other ends connected tospring-tension devices 50, each of which is provided with a chain 51,having one of its links enga ed with a hook 52, carried by the rear sideof the front crossbar 2, whereby the length of the stays or braces maybeadjusted in accordance with the adjustment of the stacker-arms. momentumacquired by the stacker-arms in swinging past the vertical is checked bythe stays or braces 48, and all jars are absorbed by the tension devices50, thereby to prevent injury to the several parts of the device.Suitable weights 53 are provided upon the stays or braces 48, preferablyby the connections between the tension devices and the ropes or cables48, so as to assist in returning the stacker-arms to their normalpositions. It is desirable to prevent each weight 53 from swinginglaterally and interfering with the operation of the device, wherefore,as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, I propose to employ a guide -arm 54for each of the weights, said arm being hinged to the intermediatecross-bar, as at 55, and connected to The the cable 48 at the point ofconnection between the weight and said cable, whereby the arm swingsvertically with the weight and at the same time prevents lateralswinging thereof.

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. Ahay-stacker comprising a base-frame, vertically-swinging stacker-armspivotally supported upon the frame, a stacker-head carried by the freeends of the arms, a mast pivotally rising from the frame, a prop hingedto the frame and straddling the mast,

a connection between the free end of the prop and the stacker-arms, aconnection between the free ends of the mast and the prop, and a blockand tackle connected to the mast and the rear portion of the frame forswinging the mast and elevatin the stacker-arms.

2. In a hay-stacker, the combination with a base-frame, oflongitudinally-extensible stacker-arms pivotally supported upon thebase-frame, a stacker-head carried by the free ends of the arms, a mastpivotally supported upon the frame, a prop hinged to the base-frame andcomprising spaced members embracing the mast, an extensible prop membershiftable endwise between the outer end portions of the hinged propmembers, a connection between the extensible prop member and thestacker-arms, another connection between the top of the mast and theextensible prop member, and a block and tackle extending between the topof the mast and the base-frame.

3. In a hay-stacker, the combination of a base-frame made up of spacedsills, and front, intermediate and rear cross-bars connecting the same,of a rock-bar mounted upon the 20 rear portion of the frame andprojected at head carried by the free ends of the stacker arms, a mastpivotally rising from the front cross-bar, a prop pivotally supportedupon the intermediate cross-bar and straddling the mast, a connectionbetween the free ends of the stacker-arms and the free end of the prop,a connection between the free ends of the mast and the prop, and a blockand tackle extending between the free end of the mast and the rearcross-bar of the base-frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CASPER KOEHLER.

Witnesses:

H. L. KUHL, v GEO. H. TRACY, Jr.

